Best of 2013...And Beyond!

2013, unfortunately, your time has come to an end. Don’t worry, your passing will not be in vain. You’ve left some great entertainment and memories in your wake. Perhaps I could reminisce with you of those times, and maybe the hopes of 2014 if you’re up for it.

Favorite books of 2013:

Harken, by Kaleb Nation: If no one’s heard of this book, I really don’t know what to say. “No soup for you,” perhaps? But honestly, I really enjoyed this book. I found Kaleb’s writing very interesting, and his plotting and character development were just great for words. No book has really made me more cautious of the world around me since The Hunger Games, so thanks Kaleb!

Allegiant, by Veronica Roth: I don’t think words can describe how I felt when I read Allegiant. I had so many expectations leading up to its release that I wasn’t sure if they were going to be met or not. To my surprise, not only did they meet them, they surpassed them. And even though its conclusion was unexpected and heart wrenching, now that I’ve had distance from it for a while, I can honestly say that Veronica Roth’s created one of the best series finale in modern history, right up there next to Harry Potter for Christ’s sake! 

Favorite movies of 2013:

Man of Steel: This movie was everything I needed from a Superman film and more! And also the fact that it inspired Invincible, makes me even pleased.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: By far, the best of the series! Like seriously, it was so close to the book, I got chills in the movie theater. Thanks Francis Lawrence! You didn’t let me down.

Books I'm looking forward to in 2014:

Harvest, by Kaleb Nation: The suspense is killing me! Just tell me that Michael and Callista become a couple! That’s all I ever wanted!

Movies I'm looking forward to in 2014:

Divergent: I’ve seen every set picture, the trailers, like, 50 times each, and have already pre-ordered some of the movie merchandise. Seriously, I peeing my pants waiting to see this.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: I don’t care what people say! If even for a fraction, I believe Jamie Foxx’s performance will be what Heath Ledger’s was to The Dark Knight.

The Fault in Our Stars: If my experience from reading the book is any indication, I might be needing a backpack full of tissues to make it through this movie.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1: My dear Tributes, I think it'd be best that we don't lie to each other. We are all anticipating Josh Hutcherson’s performance as Peeta more than anything else.

There’s also a few personal things to look forward to. ACT exams, learning to drive, and maybe (fingers crossed) the release of the Invincible sequel!

So, yeah, I think it’s going to be another good year.

Invincible Drafts (From First to Final)

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains loads of Invincible spoilers...LOADS!! You’ve been warned.

So a while ago, I wrote a post about “The Story Behind Invincible,” and in that post, I briefly explained the process of the revision runs of Invincible, but never actually went into full detail about them. So here I am today, providing an answer to yet another behind-the-scenes question.

So, how much did Invincible change between the rough draft and its final result? Well, I’ll tell you.

The First Draft

The rough draft of Invincible was a little around 47,000 words long. In other words, that’s means there were less than 200 pages in the original draft.  

To be honest, the storyline was pretty much all there in that first draft:

-Troy wakes up in Brad’s home, doesn’t know who he is
-Troy’s re-discovery of his super-hearing, leading to his fight with Rick
-Troy’s training scenes

-Troy decides to become Lion-Man
-Troy, Jack, and Taylor’s bonding moments
-Hector and Davidson

-The high school invasion

-Troy re-discovering his Iarnamian past
-The finale at the Ambassador Bridge
-Troy and Taylor’s discussion at the end

So believe it or not, the structure was exactly the same as when I first wrote it. I think the only change that I applied before going into the second draft would be changing unnecessary sentence and shorting them. Ex: “I slowly shift my head to the black wooden, four legged chair, only to see know no person sitting there.” And for obvious reasons, it got changed to “I turn my head to the empty seat.” If you’re one of those writers where sometimes you’re feeling yourself and try to sound all authory, you’ll understand.

The Second Draft

I pretty much call the two rounds of revisions after the first draft "the second draft.” The reason for that is because I learned so much from those two revisions that I simply call them the second draft, because saying “I learned this from Revision 1”, or “I found this out in Revision 2” seem a little much.

During my time with the revisions, I added about 8,000 words. The second draft was around 55,000 words long, so that adds up to pretty much the same amount of pages on a word document. Like I said, all main components were in place, so I didn't really take anything out. The only problem was that it was a little sloppy and very sparse in its detail. I decided to add small little nuances to the romantic scenes with Troy and Taylor (Ex: The glares, the touching of the hand, pushing back a strand of hair back behind the ear), just to bring out a little sexual tension and chemistry between the two. I added more details about Alex, because in the first draft, it just seemed like I was seeing Side B of her (her toughness and anger, her Post-Iarnamian life), without ever really discovering Side A (her kindness and her naiveté, her Pre-Iarnamian life). Having Troy look back on those past memories of her helped flesh her out and made me understand her better. I also fleshed out the Hector-Jack relationship (which in turn added more depth to the Troy and Jack dynamic), the Iarnamian flashbacks and their conflict with the Catchers (for world-building), and either cut or added little details into certain sections (For pacing reasons) because they were either dragging on or too short. I also made the big decision to change Kantos’ (The main antagonist) name, because (A. It never felt right to me and (B. It was downright lame.

The Final Draft

So in the final inning (Ironic, seeing as I’m not even a sports fan), I added 1,000 words, totaling the final draft in at about 56,000 words, exactly 203 pages on Microsoft Word. I added a few more subtle changes, and did a lot more copy-editing (because really, who wants to read bad grammar and punctuation, eh?). The biggest challenge came from making sure Troy’s character arc was the way it was supposed to. Did this character go from Point A to B? Was that journey consistent? Did it pay off? Luckily, that part wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, and I got the results with great satisfaction.

So basically, the process for me was nothing more than a little bit of tweaking (Well, not just tweaking, but you get the idea). For me, the first draft was building a skeleton, and the journey to get it to the final draft was simply adding flesh and blood, and muscles and weight to it.

All in all, the revision process on Invincible was almost as amazing as an experience than it was actually writing. It was my first time really revising my work, so I didn’t know what to expect. But all writers are different. Our styles are always going to be distinct from one another, in writing and in editing. And yeah, it may not feel right the first time, but that’s okay. My editing with Invincible was one of its kind, and given what I’ve learned and what I can and can not do, my editing experience with the sequels will be one of a kind also.

So I guess the small advice I’ll give to you is to take your time and learn from it. You’ll become a better writer (and person) because of it!

Invincible Playlist

As part of my writing process, I listen to music. It helps me to strengthen a certain tone, or better channel a character’s emotions during a scene. I thought it would cool to post the songs I listened to while writing Invincible, so here they are:

1. “Somewhere I Belong” — Linkin Park

2. “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture)”— Muse

3. “Look After You”— The Fray

4.  “New Perspective” — Panic! At The Table

5.  “Forest Battle” — Steve Jablonsky

6.  “Make You Feel My Love” — Adele

7. “Next to You” — Chris Brown ft. Justin Bieber

8.  “The Catalyst” — Linkin Park

9.  “I Rise, You Fall”— Steve Jablonsky

10. “Born To Be Somebody”— Justin Bieber

Alternates:

• *“Written in the Stars” — Tinie Tempah ft. Eric Turner
• *“Lighters” — Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars

*I couldn’t really make up my mind on the last track (#10 and the alts all fit for the same scene), so you can pick whichever one you think is best.

Any of these songs match your fan playlist of Invincible. If not, feel free to share them. Also, let me know which particular scenes you think I had in mind with these songs.

The Story Behind Invincible

I always get a lot of questions about where the story of Invincible came from, and how did I get it published, so I thought I’d set it all straight for you guys.

(Warning: there are Invincible spoilers within this post; if you don’t want anything ruined, stop what you’re doing and turn away from this page...immediately!)

So here’s the story:

The Writing: I know the exact date that I began writing Invincible, because the software I write with (Acrobat) allows me to know when I started typing, but that wasn’t the exact day. So I can say with confidence that it all started a day before on January 10, 2011. Up to this point, I was already writing stories and I was so urging to find something new.

A few months before, I was watching this little movie known as The Bourne Identity (It’s a little indie movie, stars some guy named Matt Damon. You’ve probably never heard of him) and one of the elements that stood out for me was this idea of a tortured man struggling to find out who he is. It was just something I’ve never really seen before.

From then on, that was all I could think about, and at that time, I was finishing work on the end of my three book series (my self-published fantasy series, Sanctum and Evolution; the third will probably never see the light of day) and was scrambling for ideas of what to do next. Nothing I had at the time held my interest, and since I still The Bourne Identity stuck in my head, I thought, “Hey, maybe I should do something like that.” Guy suffering from amnesia, trying to find out what happened to him, on the run from bad guys who might have an idea as what happened. It sounded cool, and for a while I considered it, only to back down soon after.

Even though the ideas were good enough for a story, it just didn’t hold enough interest for me to write about. If I tried to push through it, it would’ve probably ended up as a very cheesy rip-off of “Bourne”, and that wasn’t really something I wanted to do. I mean, those elements were okay and all, but I needed something extra, something I’ve never experienced before.

It was January 10^th when Troy’s story fully came together. *Note: I should probably mention first before I continue that I’m a huge movie fanatic! I mean, next to books, movies are my LIFE. So….yeah….* One day, I was coming home from school, exhausted from classwork and frustrated with coming up with story ideas. Nothing just seemed to click for me, and I was beginning to wonder if there was ever an idea that would grab me. When I got home, I went onto the internet, checking my daily movie updates on my favorite move site. I discovered the casting for Zach Synder’s then unreleased “Man of Steel” movie was underway, and Henry Cavill’s name was just being thrown into the mix. For whatever reason beyond my knowledge, the “Bourne” elements entered my head and merged together with the idea of a superhero and next thing I know…BAM! The most gripping idea I’ve ever had came into being: the idea of a young man struggling with his past, with only these strange powers to help him.

In that moment, more ideas started to fly and I immediately reached for my notebook and started to write them down before I would lose them. When I finally finished my homework and got to the computer hours later, I knew exactly what I wanted to put on the page.

From that moment on, I became a complete madman, not ending a single day without at least writing a single page, and I didn’t come up for air until I finished in late August, eight months later.

It didn’t take me a while to find names for my courageous superhero and his family. For Troy (who I had grown to care for since that first day) I actually gave him a name that I had used for another character I wrote years ago. It sounds ridiculous, but when I gave it him, it seemed fit well. Now for the name of the love of his life was both easier and harder. Nothing I named her seemed to work, until I had gave her that name. It was so spur of the moment and I didn’t want to call her “she” for the rest of the book--which could’ve possibly happened. After I’d given her the name, I was starting to worry. This doesn’t sound right? It doesn’t sound like a name that she would have. But after spending so much time with her, I realized that this was it, and no other name was going to change that. So Troy and Brad and Jack and Taylor were named. After that, the other characters came to me like that *snaps fingers*.


For my setting, I knew I needed someplace that was extremely vast and huge, a place for both me and my superhero to sink our teeth into. As I always do for my research, I went to Google, and looked for the largest city in the U.S. Luckily enough, this turned out to be Detroit, Michigan. I just thought that it couldn't have been more perfect. I did a Google image search on the area, and when I had saw them, it immediately took my breath away. (For example, check out these images from The Huffington Post. Also see www.detroitmi.gov/ ). Also in researching Detroit, I discovered the Ambassador Bridge, which couldn’t have been more perfect for a certain place I needed at the end.

All through those eight months, Troy was all I thought about. Him and the others just couldn’t get away from me. During the summer I was writing a majority of it, I'd stay up as late as I could trying to figure out what would happen next, and just when I was about to go to sleep, something else was happening. I didn’t want to forget anything, so I jumped right back up and continued writing notes in my folder.


During those days, I couldn't stay away from the computer, either. As soon I got up at ten o’ clock in the morning (which I set by alarm clock), I had breakfast, and ran right to the computer and started writing. I was so into the story that when whenever people had called me for something, I would throw a fit and start arguing. It’s funny because when I think back to those eight months, all I could remember is being in Detroit, Michigan.


Getting It Published: Just to let everyone know: it was never in my plans to publish Invincible. After publishing two books and seeing no rewards from it, I just saw this as a fun side project to work on until I found the next big idea worth publishing. But halfway through the process, I realized that this was that idea. I mean, I felt such an emotional connection to the characters, and I loved their stories so much, that I wanted to share that experience with other people as well. (And okay, I thought the writing had potential. Better than my last two works anyway.)


So then, I started to edit Invincible, in the same way I wrote it, obsessively. It was a good thing that I loved it so much, because I would be lying to you if I said it came out in such a great shape the minute I finished, that fairies and unicorns danced around the manuscript. I mean, it wasn’t that bad, but over the multiple drafts, I recognized new things that need fixing. Things like character development and more exposition. The examples are kind of long, so I’ll probably post them later in the future.

Since I worked with Lulu Publishing before, I immediately saw them as the go-to people for this project. They helped me with the cover designs, helped me a little in the marketing department, all the things I never did with the Sanctum books.

And then, when the summer of 2013 hit, things started to get crazy, what with the reviews and all the pre-publication attention Invincible slowly started to receive. And even now, the post-publication and interviews are starting to get a little overwhelming. But it’s not something I regret. It’s what I’ve always wanted, for me and my story.


So, in the course of two years, Invincible was written, edited, marketed and published.

As I’ve probably said before, I’m more than excited to finally have Invincible on the shelves (and web shelves). Even though the journey to get here was a tough one, my love for Troy and Taylor and all their friends kept me going, and I hope that other people get to meet them and feel the same way.

Invincible release! (And a few words)

Because I’ve been so wrapped up with school and everything, I haven’t been able to post, but now that I have time, I can say that Invincible is finally available!

It’s available mostly online, but just to be specific, you can find it on:

·         Lulu.com

·         Amazon.com (although there is a slight delay for a couple of weeks)

·         Barnes and Noble.com (also slight delay)

t

Me on release day, channeling my inner main character, Troy Connor

No one knows how long I’ve waited for its release day, how hard I’ve work to get there. Of course, I didn’t expect much to change, but I’m not gonna lie, when the clock hit midnight and I saw my book finally on sale, tears started to flow, just relieved and happy to finally see my work, and  when the day finally came and got a lot of congratulations from my family, friends and teachers, I started to believe that is not something people do very often, and if they are lucky, they don’t have the right ideas to fully stand by it. But I do and sometimes, even now, I feel like I might on the start of something big.

It took me two years to get this story where it is today, and I couldn’t be more happy to bring these characters into the world.

Author Pics

So I just uploaded my author pics for Invincible (courtesy of my sister and iPod), and I think they turned out pretty good. What do you think?

Just by looking at it, I think it’s pretty obvious why you won’t see the second photo a lot. J  

18 days left!

This Book Just Got Real

So today the FedEx truck came and dropped off a very peculiar package.

It was a brown rectangular case, with white plastic straps concealing its contents, and my publisher’s logo plastered on the bottom.

From that point, I immediately knew what it was, and upon opening it, I discovered an object of beauty and wonder.

It was an attractive specimen filled with pages, covered with a striking red and a powerful yellow-greenish handprint to entice anyone who came across it.

How did I get so lucky/cool to have this in my life? And even more cooler than that, it even has MY NAME on it!

Okay, calm down, Dewayne. CALM DOWN!

*Five minutes of taking deep breaths* Okay, I think I’m good.

I seriously don’t know how I could've gotten this crazy. Just the other day, I was “Okay, it’s almost a month until my book comes out. I’m excited about it, but I’m going to keep it all bubbled inside and act professional about it.”

That was at least what I was thinking until the book came. Now I’m jumping off the walls and smiling like The Joker. Now my thoughts are “My story is real! It’s finally a real book! Not an ARC, but a real book, that I can put on my bookshelf, with no errors, and pages that I can flip through…with words on them!”

So yes, it’s been a good day.

Btw: The book still isn’t out yet. I just got this early book because that’s one of the perks of being an author (you get your own copies of your book ahead of time!). There are only a few copies out there, but not they’re going to be out into the world just yet.

Only 32 days left! So excited!

First Invincible Review

“Fast paced book…I really enjoyed it…”

I just saw the first review of Invincible from Jessie Liu of Book YA Reviews today, and it was amazing! Ever since I saw it, I haven’t stopped smiling or stood still. It’s really cool to have Invincible slowly start falling into readers’ hands. I can’t wait for it to reach many others.

Only 67 days left.

Be sure to add Invincible on Goodreads. Can’t wait for share this story with you soon.

 

Invincible Finally Has a Facebook page…

and you can check it out here!

Invincible ARCs!

So very exciting day today. Why, you ask? Because…

I GOT INVINCIBLE ARCS!!!!

I got them the other day, but they were shipped to my grandmother’s house, so I couldn’t get to them in time. But imagine my thoughts when I ran into her house today and opened a box to find these…

Oh, God, this must be how proud parents feel. Just look at them...*sniffles nose*

But wait…there’s more!


I know it looks grainy, but still…awww



“You are so beautiful…To me!!”



For those of you who don't speak book-talk, ARCs are Advance Reader Copies, which are early, uncorrected proof copies of the book--that means they are FAR from being the finished product. The reason they are printed early in advance is so they can be sent to book reviews and bloggers who "hype" up the book before its release, attracting readers before it even comes out.

 

So, as much as I hate to admit, these copies aren't mine to have.

 

As mentioned before, ARCs are for marketing purposes, so unfortunately I won't have my own set of copies until quite later, but at least I have a chance to see them before they go off.

 

So now that we've gone through the lessons of ARCs, let me just give you a list of my thoughts about seeing my book for the first time: 

•  It’s a real thing!
• I can actually hold it in my hands!
• My name is on it!!!
• I mean, seriously (even though I’ve wrote two books before this): My. Name. Is. On. A. Book.

I’m sorry to tease, I’m just so excited!!

 

Can’t be long now…

Invincible Cover and Summary

Okay, so I’ve talked about Invincible for over the last year--leaving this blog unattended on a number of occasions to get it ready for its release--but I realized that I haven’t said much about the book itself at all, besides mentioning its release date.

But what better way to get acquainted than with a cover and summary?
 

Sounds nice, yeah?

*readers nod heads*

It does? Well, here it is…

In three…

Two…

One…

Tada!!

(Awww. Look at the beautiful little cover. Just wait til it’s in your hands on, oh, say, SEPTEMBER 3, 2013!)

 

Troy Connor has no idea who he is. He doesn’t know where he came from, or why and how he ended up in the crime-ridden streets of Detroit. All that he knows are the disturbing nightmares that haunt his mind, the strange, paranormal skills he develops, and the plans he has in store for them.

As he learns to harness his new abilities, Troy must deal with being in love for the first time, a deadly enemy sent to destroy him, and a mysterious stranger who may hold the secrets to his past.

So who is Troy Connor? Find out when Invincible hits bookstores September 3, 2013.
 
First I just want to say that I am in love with this cover. I was a little apprehensive when I was getting ready to see it, because come on, it’s my book! Even if it’s not perfect, I still want it to evoke the same theme as the book itself. And boy, did it!

The handprint, the font, my NAME…amazing!

I want thank the artists and workers at Lulu for creating this image for me--you got it right, guys--and I’m so happy to have you on this journey with me.

So Invincible. September 3. Get it. You won’t regret it.

And P.S. You can also add the book onto Goodreads!

Invincible release date! (And Goodreads!)

Okay, I know it's been a while (again!), but I've so busy with Invincible that I haven't been able to do much blogging.

But not anymore!! After finally holding in all this new information, I can give you guys some news.

First: Invincible finally has a release date--September 3, 2013!

And on top of that, you can also add the book on Goodreads!

So, without further ado, let the journey begin!!